Harness.



No. 822,831. PATNTED JUNE 5, 1906.

E. S. DODGE.

HARNESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2s. 1903.

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WITNEEEEE-' EZRA S. DODGE, OF PROVIDENCE, Rid-IODE ISLAND.

HARNESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1906.

Application filed May 28,1903. Serial No. 159,094.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EZRA S. DODGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harnesses, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in the construction ofharnesses, and more particularly to an improvement in securing metalrings in the bridle, traces, breeching, or other parts of the harnessesto prevent wear on the same.

In harnesses as heretofore constructed the metal rings were secured inloops formed by the leather straps of the harness. In this constructionthe metal rings would soon wear out or destroy the leather and ruin theharness.

The object of my invention is to prevent this wear and breaking oftheharness by inserting metal wearing-pieces between the rings and theleather straps of the harness.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of a metalwearing-piece shaped to conform with the ring and the loop end of theharness-strap and held in position by the strap passing throughelongated slots in the wearing-piece to prevent wear on the leatherstrap by the metal ring, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

Figure l is a side View of the loop end of a leather strap forming partof a harness and showing my improved construction, whereby the metalring is prevented from wearing on the strap. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken lengthwise through Fig. 1, showing the metal wearing-piece in theloop of the strap and the metal ring bearing on the wearing-piece. Fig.3 is a sectional side view taken through the loop end of the strap andthe wearingpiece. Fig. 4 is a side view of the wearingpiece removed fromthe strap and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the wearing-piece, showing thesemicircular grooved center block for the ring and the outside elongatedslots for the strap.

In the drawings, a represents the loop end of a leather strap formingpart of a harness, b a metal harness-ring, and c the metal wearing-pieceinserted in the loop end between the ring and the strap. The metalwearingpiece c consists of the center block c', having the semicirculargrooved upper edge c2, shaped to conform with the ring b, the flat sidesc3 c3, the half-round lower edge c4, and

the outwardly-extending arms c5 c5, supporting the cross-bars cG c,forming with the sides c3 c3 the elongated slots c7 c7 for the strap`all formed in one piece of metal, preferably of brass or bronze.

In securing the wearing-piece to the strap the end of the strap iscarried downward through one of the slots c7 in the wearingpiece andunder the lower edge c4, then upward through the opposite slot c7. Thering l) is now placed in position on the wearingpiece and secured in theloop formed by securing the end and body of the strap together above thering by stitching, as shown in the drawings.

By the use of the wearing-pieces all wear on the leather by the metalrings used in the harness is eliminated and a more perfect and durableharnessis constructed than has heretofore been done.

It is evident that the wearing-piece could be secured in the loop of thestrap by a lip on each end of the wearing-piece or similar means toprevent endwise movement of the wearing-piece in the loop withoutmaterially affecting the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A device of the character described, comprising acenter block provided with a lower, longitudinal, straight edge, saidedge beveled or curved transversely throughout its entire length, saidblock provided with an upper, longitudinally-extending semicircular edgeprovided with a groove, arms extending laterally from the ends of saidblock, straight, cross-bars positioned uponthe sides of said block, eachbar integral with each two of said arms, said block provided with flat,parallel sides, each bar provided with an inner, iiat vertical face, theinner faces of said bars parallel with the iiat, parallel sides of saidblock, andsaid cross-bars, arms, and block constituting guides orkeepers for snugly retaining the looped portion of a strap against saidblock when the same is positioned thereon.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a centerblocl,provided with a lower longitudinally-straight edge, said edge curvedtransversely, said block provided with parallel, straight sides, alongitudinallyextending groove formed in the upper edge of said block,outwardly-extending arms secured at each end of said block, said arms ofless length than the greatest width of said IOO IIO

the side of and below the highest point of said block, each bar providedWith a straight,

vertical, inner surface or face, said face aral,

lel With the contiguous side of said bloc and said cross-bars, arms, andblock, constituting guids or keepers for snugly retaining the loopedportion of a strap against the block When the strap is positioned uponsaid block.

3. A device o the character described, comprising a block provided Withparallel, Hat sides, arms extending from said blocks,

bars positioned upon opposite sides of said 15 block and supported uponsaid arms, each bar provided with an inner, flat face, the faces of saidbars parallel With the flat sides of said block, and said block, armsand bars, constituting guides or keepers for snugly se- 2o curing astrap against said block.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication in thepresence of vtWo subscribing Witnesses.

EZRA S. DODGE. Witnesses:

ADA E. HAGERTY, J. A. MILLER, Jr.

